My Jamie Oliver Experiment: It is my time . . .

How This Started and My Hope For This Experiment

My Husband and I are both big fans of Jamie Oliver. For Christmas I bought him Jamie's cookbook "Jamie's 30 Minute Meals: A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast". As I read the preface of his cookbook I was inspired by his ideas. He felt that he was spending too much time cooking during the busy week and doing too much clean up. So he decided that for the week night meals there needed to be something quick and still healthy and yummy. He and his team did a lot of work and made the "30 Minute Meals". He has explicit directions for step by step getting the meal done in 30 min. He tells you what to do first, second, and third so that you have all dishes going at the same time, instead of making it dish by dish. Since we aren't doing once a month cooking right now I was captured by this idea and dying to start trying. I have been spending way too much time in the kitchen during the week and can't wait to be able to prepare good meals fast. My husband was all for it since he loves to eat great food and has a very particular palette. He will be making some of the meals on weekends when he isn't working because, this is after all, his cookbook :)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

It is my time . . .

Hey Everyone, This is Garrett. I have hijacked Ashley's Blog because I think that it is about time I had a voice on the blog, if only for this one time. Ashley has forbidden me from making posts in the worst kind of censorship, but now I am exposing this whole operation!

The reality is, I am right now eating the dinner leftovers for lunch at work--and wow, I love it.

I can tell you that I have enjoyed very much Ashley's new venture in cooking. I come home and my taste buds feel like they are in some kind of musical and want to stand up and start singing and dancing. Ashley is a great cook and the kids and I have been thoroughly enjoying this time.

Before we did once a month cooking which was great because we got to tackle some really complicated recipes but what it came down to was a lot of "one pot meals". Now the variety and the many different sensations of flavor with all the side dishes is really refreshing, tastes great and is healthy.

Last night we had the carrot mash and thought that it was a little bland. But I realized you have to rate the meal on everything--sides, main, desert and sometimes a specialty drink. With the peas and other things being so rich it was ok to have one side a little bland--it actually balanced the meal. So I think the new way Ashley is cooking adds a deeper level of complexity our meals. Before we were painting with one color (one pot meals) and now cooking with a variety of colors (JO 30 min meals).

Ashley works really hard and is an amazing wife and mother. How could you not be inspired by her? Thank you Ashley for the blog and your passions you make a reality.

Garrett

PS Hey Ashley could you SP this? thanks